Pennsylvania Governor Signs Ban on Texting While Driving

Nov. 18, 2011 - PRLog -- Harrisburg, PA - Governor Tom Corbett signed legislation that makes Pennsylvania the latest state to place a ban on texting while driving. The new law, which makes texting while driving a primary offense carrying a $50 fine, takes effect in four months.

"Senate Bill 314 aims to put a halt to texting from behind the wheel and is intended to save lives," Corbett said during a bill-signing event in suburban
Harrisburg. "No text message is worth a human life. The message of this legislation is drive now and text later."

The new law prohibits all drivers from using an Interactive Wireless
Communication Device (IWCD) to send, read or write a text-based message. The law defines an IWCD as a wireless phone, personal digital assistant, smart phone, portable or mobile computer or similar devices that can be used for texting, instant messaging, emailing or browsing the Internet.

According to the Governor's office, in 2010, there were almost 14,000 crashes in Pennsylvania where distracted driving played a role, with nearly 1,100 of those crashes involving a handheld cellular phone.

"We've said it in the past, but today, we are making it law: if you have an urgent need to text, you must pull over and park. If it's not important enough to stop your car, then it's certainly not important enough to risk a life," said Corbett.

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